A Little Piece of Out of Place Gold
by IfUKnewUCouldNotFail
Summary: This started out as my tag for 7x07 Little Yellow House. It begins at the end of the poker scene and tackles the question I think Lisbon's brother's must have been asking about the fact that their Sister's boyfriend was wearing a wedding ring. We also find out how Lisbon feels about the ring, and what she thinks it means for her future with Jane. First up, Jimmy confronts Teresa.


A/N: I loved Little Yellow House, I really did, but it bothered me that Jane is still wearing his wedding ring as prominently as ever for his first meeting with Lisbon's family and Lisbon's protective brothers don't even question it. They really didn't seem to know any of the history with Jane so it seems really unlikely that they already knew the story behind the ring. Therefore, I think there simply must have been _something _said about it…

JLJLJL

As was the prearranged plan, first Jimmy had excused himself from the hotel room where the poker game had taken place, and then Teresa and Patrick had taken their leave. Holiday didn't care, the game was well and truly over and he was pretty preoccupied letting his rage out on whoever the unfortunate person on the other end of his cell line was.

Thankfully, he obviously wasn't suspicious of any of them. How could he be? He and Patrick had been losing along with everyone else all night.

Jimmy couldn't believe how well Patrick's plan had worked! Frankly, he actually didn't have a clue _how_ Patrick's plan had worked, or really what it had even been to start with, not totally.

All he knew was that his big sis's boyfriend had somehow miraculously kept his seemingly very overconfident promise to him. Not only had Patrick identified the guy that killed Nathan, but then he had got the guy to turn himself in and confess! Now he _really _wouldn't need to testify.

This Patrick guy totally came through for him, and Jimmy could admit that he really liked this one. His sis could sure do a lot worse…and had! There was just one thing that was bothering him, something that seemingly everyone else was ignoring.

The Ring. The guy was wearing a gold, firmly in place, looked like it had been there for years, wedding ring. And nobody was acting like it was remotely odd.

Upon first noticing the band, which he could admit was not as quickly as it could have been. He had been pretty distracted by both his and Stan's problems at the time. But when he had finally noticed, his gaze had immediately gone to his sister's left hand.

By that time, the word 'boyfriend' and not 'husband' had been used innumerable times. But the move had been instinctive, as he couldn't, and still can't, think of another obvious explanation of the ring's presence on the others mans hand, and his sister's apparent complete comfort with it. But no, his sister's hands had been bare, no wedding ring, no engagement ring, nothing.

So now here they were. The sting was over, his troubles were over and he was able to focus more fully…on butting into his sister's love life.

The guy couldn't be _currently _married, right?

There was just no way. Teresa was, and always had been, _such_ a straight arrow. There was no way she'd bring her, _just happens married to another women_ boyfriend, back home to meet her brothers with complete ease. No way she'd even date a married guy at all, as far as he was concerned, no matter what the _extenuating circumstances_ of the guy's situation might be.

So what were the other options? Divorced? What divorced guy kept his ring on when, at least as far as he could tell, getting serious with another woman?

So what did that leave? Widowed? That thought did seem to ring more plausible than the others. But the same question still applied.

If this guy really cared about his sister, which he had _told him_ he did, and had seemed so sincere, why then was he still wearing a ring his late wife had given him? Especially when he knew he's be meeting his new girlfriends family! It just didn't seem to make sense…

Had he misjudged Patrick and the situation? Were things not as serious as he had judged? Was Patrick not sincere in his declaration of feelings for his sister?

Jimmy didn't like it much, but he supposed he had to consider that may be the case, given the evidence. When he broke it down he had to consider that could be a real possibility.

After all, he had witnessed first hand what a skilled deceptionist the man was during the poker game.

So skilled in fact that he couldn't even work out, as someone who had been in on the con, how the con even worked! That was skill! So he had to consider that that through into doubt every word the man had ever said, he was clearly _capable_ of making people believe whatever he wanted. But the question was had he?

He also had to admit that it wasn't only Patrick that could have provided the mixed message, if indeed a misunderstanding was the case. Both he and Stan had taken the man's mere presence in Chicago as evidence that things must be serious between the two.

Teresa _never_ introduced her boyfriends to them, not since high school, and even then it was only because proximity meant she had no choice in the matter. It wasn't something she had ever chosen to do willingly. So when she had turned up with a man, happily and confidently proclaiming that he was her boyfriend, that had said something to both Stan and him.

Something significant.

But what if that significant piece of evidence was been false? After all, the visit home had not started out as a social one, and he himself had witnessed how crucial the man had been in dealing with the situation they had come to resolve. What if Patrick's presence on the trip had only ever been because of the professional help he could bring to the table and the fact that he was in a 'casual' relationship with his sister mere coincidence.

Still, Jimmy didn't think that theory fit either. 'T' was a private person, even with her own family. If she happened to have something going with a guy she worked with, who they then happened to meet, Jimmy had no doubt she would not have gone out of her way to advertise it, far from it!

Jimmy just couldn't figure the pair out. It wasn't just Patrick that had _seemed_ to have genuine and serious feelings for his sister. Neither he nor Stan had ever seen Teresa so happy, confident and comfortable in a relationship as she _seemed_ to be with Patrick.

If Patrick really was putting on an act, it wasn't just him and Stan he was fooling… But that was a worrying thought... But one that surely couldn't be the case, right?

Jimmy sighed, there were just too many questions, too much in doubt. And it all stemmed from that one small piece of out of place gold.

He knew he couldn't just leave it. He couldn't. Well, he could…but, no, he really couldn't. He didn't get the change to exercise his protective brotherly muscles very often, but they were simply screaming for use now.

On one hand, all his natural instincts were telling him the man was a good guy. Good for his sister, good for the family. He wished he could just listen to them and leave the whole situation be. But there was just that one thing that threw his every natural instinct into doubt.

That. Damn. Ring.

This was his sister's welfare and happiness they were talking about here and if there was any chance that this guy was not good for her, he had to say something.

Of course there was also the fact that by this point in his internal musings he was simply _dying_ of curiosity to know what the actual story with the damn ring was.

But mainly it was brotherly protectiveness…with maybe side note of…_fairly high _curiosity.

The man seemed legit…shady…but legit. The combination was a bit of a conundrum, but Jimmy couldn't deny that was exactly how the man came off.

There was nothing for it, he was simply going to have to come out and ask about the damn Ring. 'T' would be peeved at him for butting in. There was no question. She thought of herself as the only adult in the family and thus not to be grilled with impertinent…and personal…questions from 'the children'. But she would have to deal.

JLJLJL

Jimmy got his chance to ambush his sister sooner than he had expected. He knew he needed to get her alone, but the Patrick guy wasn't far from her side very often. It wasn't like he was clingy, just…watchful. But not in a creepy way…more protective.

Which wasn't something that Jimmy, as her brother, had a problem with. Far from it, if looks could indeed be taken as truths. Jimmy's instinct kept on telling him the he liked the guy, but he was set in his course now, he had to find out the truth.

So it was only a few hours later that he found himself alone with his sister again, apparently for another interview. Debrief this time… Cops and their paperwork! Jimmy questioned Patrick's disappearance.

'T' had just laughed and said 'Jane sticking around for paperwork, that'll be the day!' So there was another piece of evidence that said this guy was not your average cop, or cop at all really, seeing that he was apparently able to get away with disappearing for the paperwork part of the job on a regular basis.

The 'routine' debrief actually had been, Jimmy was thankful, and over with quite quickly. Afterwards, before his sister could make a move, Jimmy quickly turned the tables. He had a little debrief of his own he needed to take care of.

" 'T', stay a minute, would'ya?"

She looked at his comically. "You just escaped getting hauled in by the law by the skin of your teeth and now you want to spend more time in police station, and an interrogation room no less?"

Jimmy for the first time considered this might not be a good time…or a good place…if they had an audience… His gaze drifted to the glass mirror in the room. 'T' saw the move and answered his unspoken question.

"There's no one watching Jimmy, nothing happening here is remotely interesting to anyone anymore. We're just crossing 't's' and dotting 'i's' at this point. What do you want to say to me?" Clearly his big sis had correctly read that there was something on his mind.

And now that he had his moment, he didn't know quite what to say to take advantage of it. "Well, it's about…"

"Jane." She interrupted, finishing his sentence for him. Though he hadn't been about to use the cop short hand of referring to _everyone _by their last names, even those you were seeing apparently. Old habits, he guessed, what little he did know what that she and Patrick had worked together for a long time. Long before they were what they are now….whatever that is!

"Yeah…it's about Patrick…"

"You have a problem with him? I thought you liked him? And remember, he did safe your ass today, Jimmy! And kept Stan's secret…from me!" Outrage was creeping into her tone, her protective instinct coming out full force.

"Teresa, Teresa, everything your saying is true and I don't have a problem with the guy. He saved my bacon today, I know that, it's jus that…"

"Just what?" He tone was hard now. Jimmy could tell his sis was_ very_ protective of her consultant/lover/boyfriend/whatever! Just as much as he was of her apparently. Their looks and actions to each other seemed to scream loving committed couple, but that just made his question all the more pertinent.

"What the hell's the deal with the guy's ring, 'T'?" There, he spat it out. It was out there.

Jimmy watched his sister deflate immediately. Her whole demeanor had been strong and purposeful, ready for a fight, ready to defend her position and her man…now she looked resigned.

"T?" He prompted, she was still just staring at him…quite sadly, Jimmy thought.

"He's not married, Jimmy, not anymore." She admitted.

"I figured as much, for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was you, Miss-always-by-the-book. So what_ is_ the story?"

Silence, it did look like she was _considering_ telling him…

"It doesn't matter, Jimmy, not anymore." But maybe not…

"Come one 'T', you know we can't just leave it at that, and you know I'm not the only one whose gonna ask…why make a big deal out of it? When its _gunna have to_ come out sooner or later? I mean it will won't it? If you're really serious about this guy… Your thing with him, _whatever it really is_, certainly doesn't seem too casual to me!" He basically begged his sister, he really needed to change her mind. Whatever it was it couldn't be that be a secret, could it?

It looked like he might be getting through to her. It was clearly not something she wanted to talk about, but he may have convinced her he needed too.

"His wife died, Jimmy" She stated plainly…sadly.

Well that was some information, and a confirmation of his strongest suspicion. But he's bet there was a whole lot more to the story than that!

"When?" He could tell this wasn't going to be fast or easy, kind of like pulling teeth actually. At least that was how 'T' was acting.

She didn't answer immediately. She was looking at him nervously actually, like she didn't think he was going to like the answer to the question. So, it was _recently_ then…she was ashamed that they were moving things too quick. That would explain her reticence to tell him how long it had been…

"12 years ago." She finally answered.

Huh?

12 **_years_**…

Ok, _not _a short waiting period then…a damn long one actually…_far too_ long….

What the hell was going on?

Jimmy did a double take. "12 _years_?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes." His sister answered simply, giving nothing more away.

"12 **_years_**?" He repeated again, for effect.

"Yes." She replied again, in a much more impatient tone this time.

"And he still wears the ring?"

"Yes." Again, giving nothing more away…

"Come on 'T'! You gotta give me more than that! _Why_ is he still wearing a wedding ring if his wife died _over a decade_ ago?! Are you _ever_ planning on asking him to take it off? Do you even want him too? Do you somehow like this sign non-committance? We all know you don't like it when they rush things…makes you run the other way...fast. Is that why this thing with this guy is actually working? Moving at a goddamn snail pace with little hope of real commitment…because that's kind of sad, Teresa…for both of you!"

Ok, he's pissed her off now. It was obvious…and it was even more obvious that he's hit at least one nail right on the head with his remarks. There was no doubt about it…she wouldn't be this mad otherwise…

"Jimmy, how dare you! This is none of your business to start with and to impugn either Jane, his wife or me, when you don't have single damn clue what you're talking about!"

"But that's just it Teresa, I _do know_ what I'm talking about, don't I? Maybe not the exact details…but I'm right on about your commitment issues! And may I add, I think I've identified another problem with your relationship, or lack thereof, with this guy… He doesn't have a wife, Teresa! You just said I offended _his wife_ like she was still here to be offended! Despite your commitment issues, I can see it as clear as day now, _with this guy_, you want that position! But you're never going to ask for it, are you? Because, subconsciously at least, you think that position is already taken! It's as clear as day now! You wouldn't be letting the ring thing stand if you had actually acknowledged how you really felt, what you really wanted! I know you wouldn't be! You're going to waste your last remaining years to give yourself the family I know you've always wanted, no matter what you've said, because you're too afraid to ask this guy to give you what you actually want."

Jimmy watched as his sister went from livid mad to….completely deflated and resigned? What…?

"Jimmy, your right about some things, but so very wrong about others…" She spoke calmly…sadly. He eyes downcast on the table between them.

"How so?" If she was willing to go on in a more civilized manner so could he, as long as she _did_ go on.

"Your right about my commitment issues…or at least what _were_ my commitment issues…until very recently anyway."

"Not anymore?" He was slightly skeptical.

"No." But she seemed sincere…and he somehow did really believe that that was something that may have changed.

"Ok, what am I wrong about?"

"My subconscious."

"Huh?" He was confused now.

"You said I _subconsciously _think that the position of his Jane's wife is already taken. There's nothing subconscious about it, Jimmy. There's no doubt in my mind. There will never be another Mrs. Jane…"

TBC

A/N: Ok, to say this fic went somewhere different from where I originally intended would be an understatement… but I would love to hear what people think about it and where it is _now_ heading… Please review! :-D


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